Things that make Life Swell

One of my best friends visited Maine this week and took some lovely photos. Two in particular I'm sharing with you, reader, because they made me think of those pleasures that make life swell. True, this post has no real importance and may not even be interesting for you to read. It's simply a rather childish list of things that I enjoy. Feel free to gloss over them and wait for another post of greater interest. I do hope that you take a moment to enjoy her photos, though.

That List of Swell Things:

~Visiting Maine (one of my four favorite states)

~Misty and chilly mornings either by a lake or in the woods

~Big, thick sweaters or fleeces that make you feel like a blissful kid because they're cozy

~Dogs that smile in the corners of their mouths and want to be petted (like mine)

~Walking into a grocery store that plays Classical music all day (I visited the first ever this week, and almost forgot to buy groceries, I was so busy sorting through Mozart, Bach, and Vivaldi).

~Hot Apple Cider (beats hot cocoa all hollow)

~Getting letters of any sort (particularly those with a stamp and an envelope)

~Taxiing down a runway and feeling that first little lurch at take-off

~Holding newborns (particularly siblings and cousins)

~Observing the first signs of spring, when all of the trees are blooming, the air is warm with a nip of winter lingering on, and everything is done up in pastels.

~Hiking through the mountains and smelling the pine-and-dust scent, stepping through a sun-speckled forest.

~Playing with children who still know how to pretend, and don't make fun of teddy bears (I have two: La Pine and Marshmallow Custard).

~Being with friends who will listen to anything you need to say, put up with your nutty antics, and remain loyal whether they're next door or across an ocean.

~Finding a new quote to add to my ever-expanding collection

~Listening to that unique quiet that only comes with falling snow; waking up to a blanket of snow that's left the world a magical silvery-white; skiing and throwing snowballs; coming in to thaw beside a fire

~Singing (but only when no one's listening, because I can't sing for toffee).

~Watching a gorgeous sunset anywhere in the world, with the consciousness that it's wonderful just being alive